Category: Mardi Gras

New Orleans is an amazingly beautiful city. The beauty comes from its people, its architecture, its colors, its smells, its green space, its cultures and it’s problems. I was stumbling around on the interwebs when I came upon these beautiful gems. Most of the photos are courtesy of Shorpy.com, where you can buy prints of the pictures. The other pictures were found on google images. All of these pictures are of New Orleans pre-1950. The differences between then and now are really incredible, but what I find more incredible are the similarities. People still love Mardi Gras, Canal and St. Charles still have street cars, buildings still have beautiful wrought iron balconies, the streets still flood, and the city is still a wonderland.

“New Orleans Negro street,” December 1935.

Photograph by Walker Evans. X’s at bottom are crop marks.

—

New Orleans, Louisiana, circa 1903. “Mule teams on the levee.”

—

New Orleans, Louisiana, circa 1907. “Canal Street.” Life on the grid a century ago.

—

Canal St. circa 1903.

—

The Crescent City circa 1906. “The French Market, New Orleans.”

—

New Orleans circa 1910. “St. Charles Avenue from Canal Street.”

—

Canal Street in New Orleans circa 1910. Large building is the Maison Blanche department store.

One of the things that I love the most about New Orleans is its innate acceptance of characters. One morning I was driving to work at 8am and I saw a cross dresser on stilts doing the walk of shame. People always embrace an impromptu dance or jam session, regardless of location. Awkwardly tall bicycles, like you need a ladder to get on and off that thing, are common. I could go on and on about the characters that I have seen in New Orleans. Even our cars have a little extra personality. I was at the corner of Press St. and Dauphine when I came across this little gem…

“Mardi Gras Truck”

This man is second lining, those who follow the brass band just to enjoy the music are called the “second line“, they follow the “main” or “first line” who are the actual paying krewe members. Participants of the second line have a traditional style of dancing, they also carry umbrellas and wave handkerchiefs.

—

The side view shows the brass band, including the saxophonist, trumpeter, bass drummer, some krewe members (right over the wheel, they are dressed in traditional [and slightly creepy] masks)

—

With this close up you can see that everything on the truck is made out of Mardi Gras throws (things thrown at Mardi Gras…duh). The coins are Doubloons, each parade has its own style Doubloons. The music notes, fleur-de-lis, people and instruments are made out of different beads. At the bottom of the picture you can also see the specialized beads with different krewe and parade medallions (you can also see the creepy krewe members).